Varying Fates-A Fire Emblem Fates Anthology
by Caffeinated Spider
Summary: This book collects several different events and stories from many different points in the FEF timeline and compiles them all together. Everything from major events that shaped the story to silly little interactions between units can be found here.


***crawls down a little spider web***

 **Hello humans of the inter-web!~**

 **Welcome to my first story! Well, it's more like a collection really. Here you'll find all different kinds of one-shots and small stories based off of one of my favorite games, Fire Emblem Fates.**

 **I had I lot of fun writing this one and I can't wait to write more. If you guys want me to write some specific ones, feel free to post them in a review. Until then, please enjoy this story I have dubbed Old Wounds.**

 _Time: Revelation Path, After Anankos' defeat and the crowing of the new Vallite ruler._

 _Location: Outside the Kingdom of Valla, near the gateway to the Kingdom of Nohr._

When you have lived as long as Gunter, you know when to excuse yourself.

After Corrin's coronation, the old great knight saw no need to be around for much longer. He had done his job; kept Corrin alive throughout the years and raised them to be a strong and capable leader. He was ordered to do so, but he felt that by raising the kidnapped child, he could use Corrin against King Garon in an act of vengeance for the loss of his own family. Gunter chuckled a little as he and his armored steed trotted along over silent hills; he found it amusing that it was because of his seemingly justified ambition that Anankos was able to seize control of him and use him against Corrin and their allies. He then felt a stab of guilt following his chortle, causing his old wrinkled face to once again fall back into a scowl.

'I have to do this,' he reminded himself, 'They'll be safe. They don't need an old man slowing them down,'. He soon came to the edge of the plain he was currently on. Gunter looked down at the seemingly bottomless sky. He knew that it was safe to fall, but it still felt unnerving to gaze down at it. He took a deep breath and was about to take the leap when an arrow shot by him, grazing his silver hair. He turned to face his opponent, readying his silver lance for combat. "Don't think I'm weak just because I'm old, you whelp. War and I go way back," Gunter shouted to his unseen enemy.

A laugh echoed from above him. "Oh~, I'm fully aware of that Gunter of Nohr," a voice said mockingly. A large shadow of a bird loomed over him. A piercing cry shrieked as the shadow darkened and a massive white bird dive bombed Gunter and his steed. Gunter quickly charged forward, avoiding the attack and turned to properly face the creature. The bird turned and glared at the armored soldier, it's tail feathers rising up like a peacock. Sitting on the bird was, in all of her confident sadistic glory, was Reina. She smiled at Gunter, her pearly white teeth glistening in the Vallite sun. "Did you really think that you could leave without saying goodbye?", she cooed.

Gunter kept his face adamant in the presence of Reina. Without flinching, he replied, "I saw no need to justify an old man's disappearance, Reina of Hoshido."

Reina laughed, "Oh, so you do remember my name. I'm flattered, I really am,". She nudged her large bird's thigh and the bird slowly waddled forward. "If you remember my name though," she mused, "then you should recall how we first met."

"Forgive me miss Reina, but my memory is not what it once was, and I must be on my way," Gunter replied, attempting to walk past Reina.

"Oh that's too bad. Allow me to jog your memory." Reina pulled out a silver naginata and made a slash at Gunter's neck. Gunter was able to pull back in time to avoid the attack and readied himself for combat. Reina rushed towards him, twirling her weapon with a wicked grin plastered across her face. "Twenty five years ago, the Imperial Hoshidian forces were patrolling the eastern walls of the Bottomless Canyon, when the Nohrian Grand Army ambushed us from the west,", Reina stated in a surprisingly calm tone while she attempted to decapitate Gunter.

Gunter grinned a bit, memories returning to him, "Ah yes, it's coming back to me now, though I recall a different version of your story," he replied. He parried Reina's attack and charged forward with his own weapon, "I was leading my faction of Nohr's army when a Hoshidian sniper fired a volley of arrows at my men. We followed him and that led us to Hoshido's forces, which then resulted in our two armies engaging in a bloody skirmish," he proclaimed.

"Ooh yes, I remember just how much pain and agony I could sense from that day; I nearly died of pleasure," Reina oozed back, her words dripping with ecstasy, "But I don't recall my commander sending an archer to engage your army. We didn't even know of your presence until your attack."

"As was I. I think that it was reasonable to assume that, considering the events that transpired only hours ago, that perhaps that archer was just a ploy by Anankos to stir up tensions between Nohr and Hoshido."

"Seems reasonable, but that doesn't change what occurred during that bloodbath, now does it?", Reina mocked.

The two warriors, practically paralleling each other's intentions, took a swing at each other's mounts. Gunter's horse was knocked onto its side, throwing the old man off, though he landed on his hands and feet. Reina's bird was stabbed in its wing, causing a shriek in agony that threw Reina off. She landed gracefully, clinging to her naginata. She waltzed over to a wheezing Gunter, who struggled to stand. Reina smirked and lunged forward to attack, only for Gunter to spring up with new-found energy and parry the blow. "Amidst the chaos of the skirmish, I noticed you and your blood stained bird slaughtering my soldiers like a butcher. I ran towards you with the innate desire of protecting my men,", he stated.

Reina spat out a bloody spit ball and grinned at him. "I only saw you as just another blood filled pincushion for me to impale, so I blissfully accepted your challenge and we dueled,", she clarified. The two warriors then began to attack each other in a flurry of steel and blades, metal clashing against metal with unrivaled passion and drive in both of Gunter and Reina's eyes.

"The duel was so intense, if my memory serves right, that not only did it kill both of out steeds, but it stopped both of our armies entirely as they stood there and gawked at our duel."

"Somewhere in that fight, I broke through your defenses and I slashed your formerly scar-free face right over your eye."

"Around the same time, you became sloppy and left your flank open, allowing me to return the favor and give you a cross upon your pristine profile."

"Eventually, our weapons broke. But neither of us admitted defeat, so we continued to fight hand to hand. There was so much blood leaking out of both of us that I swear that it was raining the stuff."

"By that point, King Garon and King Sumeragi had received word of our skirmish and rode like the Devil was on their heels to our battlefield. They ordered our gash filled bodies to be separated at once and to fall back to our respective capitals."

"The face you made at me while being dragged away, it was so...so...so boring."

Gunter stopped and the two warriors stopped fighting. They stood still, watching each other in silence.

"Even with blood dripping down your face, you wore this smug little grin, like you won. Like that you bested me without even killing me. I wasn't enraged by it, mind you. Just disappointed that after all that carnage and brawling, it ended with both of us being dragged away by our own men and you sneering." Reina explained, her voice slow and drawn out.

"So...this is what this was all about? To fulfill a personal vendetta against an old man you hadn't seen in centuries?", Gunter replied, not with anger in his voice but understanding, as he knows how far people will go just for vengeance.

"No, of course not. I only wished to tell you goodbye in the best way I know how," she clarified, smiling a bit.

Gunter was quiet. Then a smile appeared on his face and he laughed. He laughed long and hard and soon, Reina joined in. Gunter, his laugh subsiding, approached Reina and shook her hand. "Thank you for that rigorous retirement party, miss Reina,", he stated.

Reina, still laughing, replied, "The pleasure is all mine Gunter,". Gunter then turned to his horse and helped it to stand back up. He saddled his steed and trotted back to the edge of the plain. Reina turned to him and asked, "I'll come and find you in twenty five years, then we'll see who is the better warrior."

Gunter smiled and before leaping into the endless drop-off, he said, "I'll take that challenge."


End file.
